Dogs and Global Warming
Fri October 31st, 2003 12:45 MSTMy dogs had a major triumph today. First, a meter reader came. They barked furiously and he went away. They were very proud.
Then the garbage man came. Again they barked furiously and he too went away. They were even more proud.
This happens every week and is a great source of satisfaction to them.
Since the mid 19th century, CO2 in the atmosphere has risen 30%. Surface temperatures have risen about 1 degree. Environmentalists thus tell us that putting CO2 into the atmosphere caused the temperature to rise.
They too are very proud!
Lots of barking but over nothing … I like your analogy.
There’s a great graph that was used in some intros to statistics showing pitfalls of assigning casualty.
It’s a graph of number of stork sightings vs the population of Oldenberg Germany. There is a beautiful fit. The graphs correspond beautifully.
One can of course draw the conclusion that storks bring babies.
Hate to be picky, but I am (naturally).
It’s “causality”, isn’t it?
Additionally, the argument carries no weight with the environmentalists — they want numbers that support their cause. Facts to the contrary shall be given a thorough ignoring.
Words of caution are lost on those who have no humility, but I will go ahead and apply the Latin phrase, “post hoc, ergo propter hoc.” It has to do with causality - just because B follows A doesn’t necessarily prove that A is the cause of B. If you put on your finest feathers and beat the drums, the eclipse will go away - but it’ll go away even if you retire to your bedroom and take a nap!
Conventional wisdom has it that we are going through an age of global warming, but a powerful case can be made for the claim that we are long overdue for another ice age.
Warmonger, The case for global cooling was made in the 70’s by some of the same dirt-worshiping anti-capitalists.
Are you even sure of the stats you cite, John?
Noel,
Yes. It is trivial to measure CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. That rise is known to a high degree of accuracy.
It is harder to measure temperature rises, but even global warming opponents in the climate field generally agree on about a 1 degree surface temperature rise.
That rise should hardly be a surprise, since it is a continuation of the trend since the litle ice age. And it still isn’t warm enough to farm Greenland, which it was a millenium ago!
I’d have to agree, only your dogs can be put on a leash. I don’t think the environmentalists would like that at all.
you need graphs on global warming
My dog is the same way, but he ate something yesterday and isnt feeling well, so he wont be barking.